In a recent court appearance in Melbourne, Australia, Erin Patterson, 49, pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and five charges of attempted murder. The charges stem from an incident where her former parents-in-law and her ex-husband's aunt fell ill and subsequently passed away after consuming a meal at Patterson's home in July.
Patterson, who has been in custody since her arrest in November last year, appeared via video link from prison at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court. She is accused of killing her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail Patterson’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66.
The court proceedings have been expedited after Patterson waived a committal hearing, opting to proceed directly to trial. She is set to appear at Victoria state's Supreme Court in Melbourne on May 23.
Additionally, Patterson faces charges of attempted murder related to her ex-husband, Simon, and Heather Wilkinson's husband, Ian. Simon Patterson, who did not attend the fateful meal, was among the individuals targeted in the alleged attempted murders.
Police investigations revealed that the symptoms exhibited by the affected family members were consistent with poisoning from wild Amanita phalloides, commonly known as death cap mushrooms. Ian Wilkinson, who spent seven weeks in the hospital following the incident, survived the poisoning.
If convicted, Erin Patterson could face up to 25 years in prison for each attempted murder charge, while murder in the state of Victoria carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
